


Ghosted: An Extraordinary Haunting

by AubreyRichman



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Car Accidents, Fluff, Ghosts, Haunting, Major Character Injury, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24582802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AubreyRichman/pseuds/AubreyRichman
Summary: When Max’s life hangs in the balance, who else does he turn to but his best friend? But does that mean that he will be heard?
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 112
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to LadyLillianRose and TheAuthor44 for their wonderful help. They are the best Betas a gal like me could ask for!!!
> 
> I hope yall enjoy this fic.. :) I have SOOOOOOO much planned...... :) Fluff, Angst, THE WHOLE BIT!!! SO BUCKLE UP!
> 
> Please review if you can, it means so much to me....

Zoey finalized the last line of code and submitted it to the server. She breathed a sigh of relief as she sat back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. Their long week had finally paid off, the SPRQ Watch was coming along nicely, it wasn’t ready yet, but it was getting there. She glanced over at her team and saw that everyone was gone, except for ever-faithful Max. She checked the time and realized that it was 6:30 PM. 

“I’m finally done with this section. How’s it going for you?” She asked the man sitting at the desk across from her. 

“Oh, I’ve been done for fifteen minutes. You were reviewing your lines and didn’t hear me ask you if you needed help. I went ahead and ordered the Thai food for tonight so I can pick it up on the way to your place, ” he said smugly. He tossed his ball of red play-doh into the air, caught it, looked over at her, and sent her a wink. 

“Well, good thing we planned for movie night during lunch then, isn’t it?” Zoey smiled and gathered her things. “I’ll see you at my place, then?” 

Max nodded and rose from his chair, “Sounds like a plan. I’ll grab the food and be there soon.” 

* * *

Zoey paced her living room anxiously. It was now 8:15 PM, Max was late, which wasn’t unusual, but he was never  **THIS** late. Sure he was sometimes late to work, but he was typically early for movie night. She had tried calling him but it went straight to voicemail.  _ Maybe his phone died… _

She tried to put it out of her mind, he must have a good reason for being late. Maybe the new Thai place looked sketchy so he decided to get food from somewhere else, or maybe he had gotten a flat tire. 

It was 8:37 PM when her phone finally rang, she looked at the caller ID relieved to see Max’s name.

“Max! Where are you? Did you forget where I live, again?” 

“Is this Zoey Clarke?” an unfamiliar female voice asked.

Zoey felt her stomach drop, “This is she.” 

“My name is Gina, I’m a Physician’s Assistant at UCSF Medical Center. We have a Maxwell Richman here and you are the emergency contact listed in his phone.”

Zoey’s felt her chest constrict, finding it hard to breathe as she listened to the PA and tried to respond. 

“Oh my god, is he okay?”

“He was in a car accident, he is in emergency surgery now.”

“I’ll be right there,” she gasped. “Where do I go once I get there?” 

Gina proceeded to give her instructions to the surgery waiting area before Zoey thanked her and hung up the phone. Her hands were shaking as she put her jacket back on and grabbed her purse. She was on autopilot as she drove to the hospital and went to the waiting room, letting the desk know she had arrived. 

She sat for what seemed like hours but when she looked at the clock it had been only two minutes. She pulled out her phone, still shaking and dialed the number of the person who had always been able to fix everything. 

“Dad?” 

* * *

Mitch Clarke sprinted through the doors of the hospital, only slowing to a fast walk when prompted to do so by the receptionist as he made his way to the surgery waiting room. He rounded the corner and saw a familiar, frazzled mop of red hair seated in a corner chair, facing the doors to the OR. He walked over to her, saying her name softly, causing her to lift her head from her hands and look up at him with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes. She jumped to her feet, pressing herself against his chest, and wrapped her arms around him. He enveloped her in a tight hug, wishing he could take away her pain and worries. They stood there for a moment, Zoey sobbing in his arms, while Mitch held her. Taking a shuddering breath, she pulled back from him and sat down, wiping her eyes. 

“All I know is what I told you on the phone. He was in an accident and he’s in emergency surgery. I don’t know what happened…he was supposed to meet me at my apartment for movie night. He was picking up dinner… and he didn’t show up ….I got worried and then...then they called.” 

Mitch watched his daughter closely as she stared at the door that led to where the surgeons were fighting to save her best friend. 

Eventually, a woman emerged and approached them, “Are you here for Maxwell Richman?” 

Zoey rose to her feet and nodded. “I’m Gina, the physician's assistant helping with Max’s case. You must be Zoey, we spoke on the phone earlier.” Zoey introduced Mitch and the PA continued, “I’m going to tell you what I can. Max was in a car accident. A car ran the red light at an intersection and hit the passenger side of the car and pushed his vehicle into oncoming traffic. From what the police officers and paramedics said, he hit his head against the window of his car door and the steering wheel hit his torso. He had some internal bleeding and that is what they are taking care of now.” 

“You said he hit his head?” Mitch asked warily. 

“We rushed a full-body CT scan when he arrived to make sure he had no other damage and his brain appears to be okay, for now. Nothing emergent, we just need to monitor for any issues. Once we finish surgery, he will be taken to ICU. Only family is allowed to visit there…you are his emergency contact. Are you family?”

“I’m the closest he has. His family lives across the country and they don’t speak,” she answered quietly. 

“Since you are his ICE contact in his phone, I can allow that. Do you have a way to reach his family? They should be informed.” 

Zoey nodded, “If you have his phone, I can get their numbers for you.” 

“It will be taken to his room along with his belongings. We will let you know when we are done.” With that, Gina turned, leaving through the double doors. 

Mitch let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. He knew how close Zoey and Max were, they had been best friends since the day they met five years ago. If she lost him...He shook his head, he didn’t want to think about it. He waited by her side until the nurse came out and showed her to the room they were taking Max to now that he was done with the surgery. He was safe and headed to the ICU, now they just had to wait for him to come out of the anesthesia. Things would be better tomorrow…he hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my wonderful betas, TheAuthor44 and LadyLillianRose ... Together, we are Team Tragedy n' Angstiety... or TNA.. 
> 
> Thanks for the responses to chapter 1! I'm glad you guys are excited for this story, because i am excited to share it with you. 
> 
> Now, without further ado, i present CHAPTER 2.... (did you bring tissues? you may need them....)

One Week Later

“I know, Joan. I’ll be back to work on Monday if things continue as they are….I know. No. His family hasn’t come yet and I don’t think they will. They told the hospital to refer to me for the day to day stuff. I’m sure they will want to be involved if anything…changes. I… I’m not sure what to do...Thanks, Joan. I’ll keep you posted.” Zoey sighed as she ended the call. It had been seven days and Max still hadn’t woken up. The doctors couldn’t explain it. No tests gave any reason for his current condition. The surgery had gone well and he still had no signs of brain damage on any of the scans. He was in an unexplained coma, and Zoey spent every day at the hospital, wanting to make sure she was there when he woke up. 

After a couple of days, Zoey cursed her mindlessness and raced over to Max’s apartment to check on Oliver, his beloved ginger tabby. Ollie greeted her at the door of the apartment and raced to his food bowl when she poured the food out for him. His cries seemed like desperate questions and Zoey spent an hour there with the attention-hungry feline, shedding her own tears as he insisted on laying in her lap while she sat on the floor of the kitchen. 

She talked to her apartment complex about bringing Oliver home with her but they refused. So, Zoey packed a bag, starting tonight she would be staying in Max’s guest room. She told herself it was to look after Ollie more easily, but she knew that the real reason was that she missed Max. 

* * *

Zoey arrived at Max’s apartment and let herself in. Ollie met her at the door once again with a sad meow, following her as she entered the spare bedroom and put her bag on the bed. She went to the kitchen and filled Ollie’s food bowls before curling up on the guest bed. Ollie jumped up beside her and curled up against her stomach, purring as she pet him. She slowly fell asleep, waking up in the early morning hours to find Ollie standing on her chest. She opened her eyes to meet the bright green eyes of the demanding orange beast who loudly bellowed at her when he realized she was awake. He stepped on her collarbone before jumping off the bed, looking back at her as she watched him. He meowed again louder this time, she groaned getting out of bed and following him. 

He led her to the kitchen and his not quite empty food bowl. “Really, Ollie? You just had to have your bowl filled  **again** ?” She sighed, moving towards the food bins that Max kept stored in the pantry. Filling the cup, she turned around, spotting from the corner of her eye what looked like a figure sitting on the couch. Letting out a yelp, she dropped the cup, spilling cat food all over the floor. She moved quickly to the wall and turned on the lights in the living room, but no one was there. She could have sworn… Max…No, he wasn’t there. She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. Looking down at the cat food all over the ground, she let out a groan before fetching the broom and cleaning up the mess that her mind had caused. She emptied the dustpan into the garbage can and turning back to the cat that was still insistent that his bowl be full, she gave in to his demands. As she turned off the lights and went to bed, she could have sworn she saw the figure on the couch again but she shook her head. No. He still wasn’t there, but she prayed that one day soon he would be. 

* * *

All morning Saturday, Zoey found herself fighting shadows. Max was in all of them, in every image from the corner of her eye. But when she turned to look, he wouldn’t be there. Of course he wasn’t, he was laying in his bed in ICU, unresponsive and comatose. Zoey just missed her friend. Ollie was acting strangely needy, also easily distracted by nothing. He would stare up at the air, or the piano, or the couch. Of course, she hadn’t really spent a lot of daytime hours with the feline, so maybe he was just a weird cat in the light of day. Zoey went back to the hospital that afternoon to sit with Max for a few hours, and as with every previous day, there was no change. 

When she went back to Max’s apartment, she sat on the couch holding a cup of chamomile tea, looking around the familiar space. Looking around his apartment, she saw him everywhere that held a memory. She saw him next to her on the couch, in the kitchen, even at the piano. The memories brought tears to her eyes seeing his fingers trail across the keys noiselessly. She sniffed and wiped her tears away before looking back up, expecting him to have vanished yet again, just another memory thrown to the wind. He looked up from the piano, and his expressive eyes locked with hers before he opened his mouth.

“Zoey? You okay? Why are you crying again?” 

Zoey’s mug of tea hit the floor and shattered, spilling all over the rug as she jumped up the couch and retreated to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. “It’s not real, Zoey. He’s not there. He’s not there.” She started crying heavily, unsuccessfully trying to hold back her sobs. She repeated to herself over and over again, “He’s not really there. He’s not really there. He’s not really there.” 

She finally composed herself enough, convinced that it was all just a vivid hallucination. She opened the door to the bathroom and emerged hesitantly. She walked into the empty living room, where she once again heard a very familiar voice.

“Zo, it’s not that I mind you crashing here, but can you tell me what has you upset enough that you won’t go home? So much so that you would rather sob your eyes out in my guest bathroom instead of your own?” 

Zoey turned around. Standing in the dining area with his arms folded lightly across his chest was Max, staring at her with concern in his rich brown eyes. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my wonderful and amazing Betas: LadyLillianRose and TheAuthor44...also known as TNA. 
> 
> So, in other news, i was laid off yesterday due to the virus. Who knew healthcare workers like nurses could suffer from patient shortages? But, that is the case. But, it means one of two things... i will have more time to write, or may have less time to write depending on how quickly i find another position. Just know, I don't plan on giving up on this story!! It will continue!!!!

Zoey’s hands flew to her mouth as she let out a loud gasp. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god... oh my god…” 

Max moved slowly towards her, reaching out to try and comfort her, stopping as she held up her hand. “No. Stay there. You…. you can’t be here, Max. You…” tears started running down her cheeks again as she struggled to find the words. 

“Zoey, this is my apartment. Of course, I can be here, and you can too. You know you are always welcome here. Why are you so upset? What is going on with you?!” His voice rang in her ears as she stared at him.

“Max, you…there was a car accident. You never made it to movie night. You’ve been in a coma for over a week.” 

Max looked at her, eyebrows raised as he started to laugh. “A coma? Wow. Way to pull a plot right out of a chick flick. Zoey, next time you want to keep a secret to yourself, just say that, okay?” He chuckled, smiling widely. 

Zoey shook her head, “Max, I’m not lying to you. You…you’ve been in the ICU for 8 days. The doctors can’t explain it. They have no idea why you aren’t waking up. I stayed here last night because I…I needed to take care of Ollie. He misses you. We…we miss you. And, Oh...Oh my god… if you’re here... if you’re here that means… Oh god… please, no. ” 

At the mention of his name, Ollie glanced up from his perch on the armchair in the corner and meowed, annoyed by the disturbance.

“What are you talking about? He’s been following me around all day, unlike you who’s been ignoring me. I get that you don’t want to talk about it, but you have to talk about what is bothering you at some point.” Max huffed, seemingly annoyed with her continuous attempts at perfecting avoidance.. 

Zoey’s eyes widened. All day long? If he had been watching her all day, then... maybe he was still... She looked at Ollie if he had been following Max around…. Then those times he was staring at the piano, at the couch, the kitchen counter…all those times she thought she had caught a glimpse of the man before her, Max had really been there all along. 

Shaking her head, Zoey knew that there was only one way to get the answers she needed and to settle her heart. She pulled out her phone and looked at the time, it was just after 9 PM. She dialed the hospital and put her phone on speaker. 

“UCSF Medical Center ICU.”

“Hello, this is Zoey Clarke, I’m calling to check on a patient.” 

“Which patient?”

“Maxwell Richman. I’m his emergency contact and his family has given me permission to receive any pertinent updates regarding his care.” 

Zoey watched her best friend closely as she spoke on the phone. His eyebrows raised even higher, and his mouth was agape as the woman spoke again, asking to confirm his date of birth, as she continued. 

“He is stable. No change to his status, he is still currently comatose.” With those words, Max blinked, stumbling backward before lowering himself to the floor He bent his knees slightly upwards, resting his wrists on them, and clasped his hands together.

Zoey thanked the nurse, as she hung up the phone, instantly letting out a sigh of relief. She moved towards Max sitting in front of the shocked man. She could see his mind reeling as he tried to process the information. She went to reach out to him but pulled her hand back, not knowing what would happen if she touched him. Zoey did not want to break this illusion, this miracle before her. Max looked back up at her as he began to realize the truth. “Zoey, how am I here?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, Max. I don’t know.” 

And so they just sat there, trying to make sense of the impossible, together. 

* * *

After a while, Max stood from the floor and started pacing. Zoey stood as well and watched him. The thoughts were racing through his head. Coma? Car Accident? A week in the ICU? How was he here? Zoey looked so sad. He ran his hand through his hair, grasping the back of his neck, as he looked up at her. 

“Zo, I...I...I don’t even know...” 

“Max, do you remember that night? We had just finished the code we were working on and were going to have movie night…” 

He nodded. “That was two nights ago.”

“What movie did we watch?” 

He couldn’t remember. He looked at her with wide eyes, “Zoey, I don't remember…I…”

Zoey moved forward and spoke his name softly. “Max, I don’t know how to get your body to wake up, but let's work together to help you remember.” 

He nodded and reached out his hand to grasp her shoulder, only to watch his hand go right through her. Zoey took a sharp breath in. “Zo, I...I can’t touch you. I probably can’t touch anything…” He moved around the apartment, trying to grasp objects and running his keys across the piano. There was no noise or movement from any object he attempted to interact with. He turned back to Zoey and reached for her hand, his own hand moving through hers. “Did you feel anything, Zo?” he asked desperately. 

She shook her head no, her eyes now brimming with tears. He sighed and moved to the couch, sitting down.  _ At least I can still sit on things…ugh. This is going to get old really fast…  _

* * *

Zoey went over the events of the night with Max, trying to help him to remember what had happened the night of the accident, but it was useless. He still didn't remember and he looked as lost as ever. It was 2 AM when Zoey yawned for the fifth time that night and Max looked at her with concern. “Zoey, you should go get some sleep. I obviously don’t need any, but you still do.” 

She shook her head, “No, I'm not going to leave you to figure this out on your own.” 

“Zo, if I could shake some sense into you right now, I would. You need to go to sleep. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to just sit here and stare at the lights on the bay. Okay? Now go,” he urged. 

Zoey nodded, holding back another yawn as she stood up and made her way to the bedroom. She turned around in the doorway and smiled at the man who was now standing in front of the couch, watching to make sure she went to bed. “Max, I’m really, really glad to see you.” 

He smiled at her and urged her again, “Zoey, go to sleep.” 

She crawled into bed and found herself smiling for the first time in over a week. 

* * *

After he was sure Zoey had fallen asleep, Max stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows of his apartment overlooking the bay and the city before it. He had always loved this view, but tonight he was truly grateful for it. Especially given that he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t touch anything, couldn’t… _ anything at all _ . He sighed, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket, surprised when he found a cylindrical container. He pulled it out, only to discover that it was the play-doh that he usually kept at work. He turned it over in his hands discovering that he could actually feel it. He pulled off the lid taking out the red ball of doh, smiling as he squeezed it, feeling the substance squish in his hand. As he rolled it into a ball, he saw flashes of memories from that night. He remembered tucking the container into his pocket as he left the office, grabbing their food from the new Thai place, and then the headlights of a car speeding towards him from the passenger side. His eyes flew open wide as he let out a gasp. He remembered…


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes... this chapter is short... i apologize... I will give you another chapter tomorrow night.... i hope.  
> I am going out of town to build my family's cabin next week so i dont think i will be able to post anything... i apologize in advance....  
> Thanks to LadyLillianRose and TheAuthor44 as always for being their amazing selves :)

Max stood at the window, watching the sun glint off the waves when he heard the door to the guest bedroom open. He turned and saw Zoey yawning as she walked into the main area of the apartment. Her hair was tangled, all stuck out in odd directions.  _ God, she is beautiful. I just want to go over there and…. No, Max. She doesn’t feel that way about you. Plus, even if she did, you can’t touch her...  _

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” 

Zoey smiled sleepily and hummed in response. She turned on the coffee pot rubbing her eyes, she leaned against the counter and looked at Max as he approached her. “How did you sleep?” he asked quietly. 

“I slept. That’s what matters,” she smiled softly. “How was your night?”

“I found this in my pocket.” He pulled the Play-Doh out of his pocket and wiggled the container in his fingers. 

“You...You can touch it…” she gaped, open-mouthed at him. “I doubt I could...The real container is in your bag of belongings on the chair in your bedroom.” 

He nodded smiling, “It gave me something to do, and while I held it, I remembered...I remembered everything from that night. Picking up the food, the accident…” 

“Really? Wow...that’s great, Max!” She reached out to pat his forearm but her hand went right through him. “Oops. Sorry.” 

He shook his head, “It’s okay. Just weird.” 

She poured herself a cup of coffee adding three sugars and some cream. Max wrinkled his nose at the sweet abomination. 

“So, was there anything about the accident that you remember that could point to why you haven’t woken up?” 

He shook his head again., “No. Just what the doctors said, that I hit my head, but if they say there’s no damage...I don’t know, Zo.” 

He started pacing and she ushered him to the living room so she could sit on the couch as he paced and walked her through the events of the night. 

“That Thai place looked awesome. It was clean and the food smelled amazing! I was really looking forward to trying it… then the headlights came out of nowhere. I hit my head against the window as I was pushed into the oncoming lane and another car hit the front of mine… the steering wheel hitting my stomach, damn that hurt. I passed out as the paramedics were pulling me out of the car. Shit, I’m going to need a new car, I loved that Audi.” 

He turned to look at Zoey, sitting on the couch and smiling at him. “What are you smiling about?” 

“I just really missed this. I really missed you.” She admitted quietly, looking down at her mug. 

He couldn’t help the smile that grew on his own face, “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” 

“That much is apparent. Remind me of that if I ever try to murder you.” 

“Oh, I’ll come back and haunt your ass.”

“Just my ass? Dammit, Max. Why just my ass? Don’t you think other parts of me need to be haunted?”

His eyebrows shot up so high that he could feel them practically touching his hairline. He coughed before rasping out, “Other parts?” 

“Yes, Max. Other parts. My head, my hair. Oh, God. Please don’t haunt my hair, it’s enough trouble already.” 

He swallowed hard, looking down at her on the couch as she sent him a wink.  _ She doesn’t even realize what she does to me… Hell, sometimes I don’t even realize what she does to me.  _ He smiled before he turned to sit down beside her, and their conversation continued as effortlessly as it always did. 

* * *

Zoey left him briefly to go check-in at the hospital, where she was told that there was still no change. He was still sleeping, his brain function had stayed the same and his vitals were stable. Nothing was different, except for the fact that he was now haunting her…

She decided to go to her parents’ house, just feeling the need to see them. Emily and David were there debating about learning the gender of their baby, while Mitch and Maggie were on opposite sides of the spectrum. They didn’t argue about it, but Mitch wanted to know, and Maggie thought a surprise could be fun. Zoey decided it was best to stay as far away from this debate as possible and cut her visit short.

Upon Zoey’s return to Max’s apartment, only to find that it was empty except for Ollie waiting at the door. She wandered through the rooms, calling out for Max, but failed to find him anywhere. Tears reached her eyes as she entered Max’s room and saw it as empty as it had been since the day of the accident. She went to his closet, found his favorite hoodie, and pulled it over her head with a sigh.  _ Maybe I am just going crazy. Maybe he wasn’t here at all… _

She went back to the living room to find him sitting at the piano, staring down at the keys. She sniffled and sighed in relief, as he turned to face her. 

“Zo, you okay? I thought you were going to the hospital.” 

She looked at him in confusion, “Max, I already went to the hospital, and to my parents’ house. I was gone for three hours.” 

The confusion on his face nearly knocked her off her feet. “But...but you just walked out the door…”

Zoey moved towards him quickly, “Is that the last thing you remember?” 

He nodded, looking up at her from his seat on the bench. 

“Do you remember when I left yesterday?” 

He shook his head, “I didn’t think you did. It just felt like you were moping and ignoring me all day until you were crying on the couch.” 

Zoey shook her head, “I was gone for two hours at the hospital with you, again.” 

He looked thoughtful, “It’s like time stops for me when you aren’t here like **I** just stop. It’s like I just pick up where I left off when you come back…” 

“Well, maybe we need to see if you can come with me. We should probably see if other people can see you.” 

“I think that is a good idea,” Max responded with a smile, happy that they were both on the same page.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me forever to post this chapter. Building the cabin went well and i think i'm past the writers block! woohoo!!!
> 
> As always, thanks to my wonderful team of angsty betas..... LadyLillianRose and TheAuthor44
> 
> also, there is soooooooo much awesomeness coming your way....
> 
> Yes, this chapter is short... but its making way for said awesomeness, and maybe a bit...okay ALOT of Angst.....hehehehehehe

The next day, Max accompanied Zoey to work. He was able to follow her out the door of his apartment and they successfully made it to SPRQ Point after stopping at Golden Gate Grind. Max had tried to greet multiple people at the cafe but received no response or even a glance in his direction. At first, he was disappointed, but that changed the moment he entered the bullpen. Max smirked as he spotted Leif and Tobin huddled at Leif’s desk, sneaking glances at Zoey. _Oh, this was going to be fun._

* * *

As Zoey tolerated the “How are you holding up?” questions and other various inquiries regarding how Max was doing, he sat on top of his desk, smiling at her. Max had tried to sit in the chair, but it was pushed under the desk and he would feel weird sitting through it. Zoey found it was hard for her to focus on her work while Max walked around humming to himself, invisible to everyone but her. Sometimes he would skip, sometimes he would spin in circles and do an impromptu dance. Whatever he did, Zoey’s eyes followed his every move.

When Zoey finally began making some progress, she heard Max clear his throat. He was standing behind Tobin and pointing down at him. Since she couldn't just call out to him, she raised her eyebrows in question. 

“Ask him what he’s doing,” Max said, a smirk on his face. 

“Tobin, how's it going over there?”

“It’s great, Zoester. Almost done with this section,” he replied nonchalantly. Max shook his head. 

“Yeah, no.What he really means is he’s almost done clearing that section of spaceships on Galaga.”

Zoey rolled her eyes and stared pointedly at Tobin, “That’s great news.. Will I get it before or after you are done with this level of Galaga?”

Tobin’s face got pale as he quickly clicked his mouse a couple of times before responding. “Before. Definitely before,” he then feverishly returned to work. 

Zoey smiled to herself and gave a slight nod to Max, who was obviously very pleased with himself. He continued to walk the floor of the bullpen, wandering into Joan’s office. He lingered there behind her for a few minutes, before following the brunette out of her office as she strode into the bullpen. 

“Meeting now,” she stated firmly. 

The team stood and quickly followed her into the conference room. Max raised his eyebrows at Zoey and shrugged when she looked at him in confusion. “It can’t be about me. Joan barely notices me when I’m actually tangible.” Max moved to the head of the table and claimed the chair in the corner behind Joan. 

“Okay, so as you all know, Max is still in the hospital. As long as he is there, we are down an important member of our team.” Zoey looked behind Joan and watched Max’s eyes widen as he stared at the brunette.

“Plot twist…” Max said, now actively listening, curious to what Joan would say next.

“You all know it’s the truth. Since the dynamic around here hasn’t been the same, I’ve decided to hold off on promoting someone to the team lead position,” Joan announced. Zoey looked over at her best friend, as he stared in disbelief at the manager who he thought didn’t appreciate him. He shook his head as he leaned back in the chair, and began idly fiddling with his jacket zipper. Zoey continued to watch him as he began moving the zipper up and down slowly. 

Her attention was pulled back to the meeting as Leif started to protest her decision but Joan cut him off. “The watch is coming along, but Max was assigned a critical part of the programming. Unfortunately, none of you know how to do his assignment as well or as quickly as he could.” Max looked up from where he was playing with the zipper of his brown jacket, continuing to zip it up and down, over and over. 

“Someone will need to complete that part of the coding,” Joan looked around the table, waiting for someone to volunteer. 

Max gazed thoughtfully at Zoey, “You should do it.” She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’ll help you with it. Tell her you’ll do my part.” 

Zoey took a deep breath and raised her hand slightly, catching the other woman’s attention. “I’ll do it.” 

“You sure? You have a lot on your plate right now…” 

“Max taught me some of his tricks. I can do it.” 

Joan hesitated but then nodded in agreement, “Okay. It’s yours.” 

Max grinned, sending her a thumbs up and a wink. 

Joan dismissed the group and Zoey walked back to her desk, Max skipping and whistling behind her. She glanced at him as she sat down, quickly pulling up a blank word document and typing out a sentence. 

**Why did you tell me to take your coding section?**

Max chuckled, “Because, with my help, you can do it. Plus, it’ll give you a leg up when Joan eventually does promote someone, and I know you want that promotion.” 

Zoey smiled softly and turned around in her chair to look at him, making a show of stretching to make sure she didn’t look completely crazy to the team. “Thank you, ” she whispered. 

He unzipped his jacket and pushing it back he placed his hands on his hips in a heroic pose and winked at her. She felt herself blushing and quickly cleared her throat before turning back to the computer screen. So many thoughts were racing through her head at that moment. _That damn jacket…. that pose. He just had to thrust his hips forward, didn’t he? He doesn’t know what he does to me… I just wanna grab the zipper and collar of that jacket and climb… no! Zoey! Stop. He’s your best friend. He’s in a coma. You can’t touch him… and even if you could, even if he was fully here, he doesn’t feel that way about you._

She opened the program, as Max settled beside her in a crouch and started explaining the process for his section of code. She smiled softly to herself. He may not be there physically, but at least she hadn’t lost her best friend completely. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! This new job is busy!   
> But I’m not giving up on this story!!  
> Here is the next chapter :) 
> 
> Thanks again to my Betas: LadyLillianRose, and TheAuthor44... I couldn’t do it without y’all. 
> 
> Review if you can! They fuel my desire to write, something I’ve been seriously lacking in recently....

“I think I have an idea that may help you wake up from your coma,” Zoey said quietly as she sat on the couch with Max. He turned away from the superhero movie on the screen and looked at her questioningly. “There isn’t a lot of research on it, but I don’t think it would hurt to try.” 

“What’s the idea, Zoey?” he asked, a small smile on his face. 

“Coma Arousal Therapy.”

“I’m sorry, coma what?” he asked, his voice rasping slightly as he swallowed hard. 

Zoey’s cheeks flushed as she repeated herself, “Coma Arousal Therapy. Basically providing outside stimulus in an attempt to wake you from your coma.”

“What sort of outside stimulus?” The tightness in his voice was apparent but luckily, Zoey did not seem to notice. 

“Music, massage, touch, smells; anything that would stimulate the senses.” 

Max took a deep breath and nodded.  _ Way to let your brain jump to the wrong conclusion.  _ “Sounds good to me, I’m willing to try anything at this point.” 

“Even if this doesn’t work out, Max, we will find a way to wake you up. I promise.” She reached out to grasp his hand but her hand went right through him, reminding her of their sad reality. 

Max glanced down at her hand as it rested below his thigh on the couch cushion. He looked up and gave her a sad smile,“Thanks, Zo.” 

She leaned back against the couch cushion and shifted her torso until her side was right up against his non-corporeal form. He raised his arm and rested it on the back of the couch, wishing it was wrapped around her. Of course, he would never tell her that…but he wished it all the same. 

* * *

Saturday morning, Zoey put a few items in a tote bag as Max watched her curiously. “Whatcha got there?” 

She shook her head with a sly grin,“You’ll find out later.”

He stuck his tongue out at her and she blew him a kiss before turning to walk out the door. He stood there shocked for a moment and then quickly followed before she shut the door. 

As they walked into his hospital room, Max stopped short. It was strange to see his body lying there. He was shocked as he walked over, taking stock of his condition. He just looked like he was sleeping. There was no tube breathing for him, no oxygen, nothing but monitoring wires and IV fluids. Why couldn’t he wake up? 

He heard Zoey put the bag down on the chair. 

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” she asked quietly. 

“You have no idea,” he said.

Zoey reached into the tote and pulled out a Bluetooth speaker. She pressed a button on her phone and a familiar song rang in Max’s ears. 

“I love this song.” 

“I know,” she replied with a smile. “You never have been able to resist singing along to Africa.”

She lay her hand on the sleeping Max’s forearm. 

The Max who stood on the opposite side of the hospital bed looked down at his own forearm. “Whoa, I felt that.”

“Well, that’s a good sign! Let’s see what else we can do…” she reached into her tote and pulled out another object. 

“Ummm...Zo, what you doing with that fork?”

“I’m checking to see if you’re done,” she winked at him and then ran the tines along the sole of his foot.

He practically jumped out of his shoes, “Damn, Zo! You know I’m ticklish!” 

“Ya!! But see, your foot twitched!!” 

“Wait, really?!” He leaned over and watched as she ran the fork along his other foot, seeing it twitch as she did. He shifted his foot uncomfortably as he stood, “Wow.” 

“That’s gotta be good, right?” 

“Well, I never really liked being tickled, so once I wake up, I’m gonna come and get revenge. But, yes. I think it’s probably a good thing.” 

Zoey put down the fork and moved to his calves, squeezing them and massaging them gently. Max watched as he felt her hands work his muscles. She shifted to his forearms and as she started to touch them, the music shifted. The cheerful voice of Billy Joel sprang from the speaker. 

_ Ooooh, for the longest time… Oooooh, for the longest time... _

Zoey took the hand of sleeping Max and began massaging it. Running her fingers over his and gently running them across his palm. He felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck and feeling very awkward as he watched what seemed to be a very intimate moment before realizing that he was the man in the bed. It wasn’t Zoey with someone else, it was him, he was the one in that bed. 

He smiled as he lifted his hand and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Zoey’s fingers running over his own. 

* * *

Zoey felt her face flush as she held the sleeping Max’s hand in her own. She hadn’t realized how good it would feel to hold his hand… and she wanted more. But she knew that she needed to continue, she moved up his arms and to his head. She had spoken to the nurse on the way in and the nurse had told her that she was about to give Max a bed bath. Zoey wasn’t about to do all of that, but something she thought would fit very well with the C.A.T., was washing his hair. She hadn’t told Max this, but he would find out soon enough. She found the bin that the nurse had already prepped and moved to the sink, filling it with water. 

She brought the basin back to the bedside and wet a washcloth in the warm soapy water. She let the water sit for a moment while she carefully wrapped Max’s neck with a towel to prevent the water from running down too far. She looked over and saw Max, watching her with curious eyes. 

“You ready?” 

He nodded, swallowing hard. She reached into the basin and ran the cloth over his hair, continuing to do so, until his hair was wet and soapy. She put the cloth off to the side and ran her fingers through his curls, massaging his scalp. She looked up at the man standing next to the bed, to see his eyes were closed and his lips were parted slightly as he leaned his head back. She continued and found herself smiling as she watched him. Max felt a moan escape from between his lips before he quickly shut them, raising his head, and cleared his throat as he opened his eyes.

“Zoey,” he rasped, his voice thick with something that she had never heard from him before. “Not that that doesn’t feel…great, but I’m pretty sure my hair is clean now.” 

She nodded and slowly rinsed the soap out of his hair and dried it with the towels before combing it. 

“I think I’d call that a success. Wouldn’t you?” she asked, feeling flushed as he watched her movements. 

He cleared his throat again and nodded, smiling softly at her. She gathered the supplies and replaced them in her tote. He reached to take it from her but then realized that he couldn’t help her with it. He pulled his hand back and she smiled at him, “It’s okay, Max. Soon.” 

He nodded, “Soon.” 

* * *

As they sat beside each other on Max’s couch again, Zoey couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him. The way he reacted to her as she touched him, well, sleeping Max…her hope had grown exponentially. Did he feel the same way for her? Did he want more? She glanced over and found him staring at her intently. 

“You okay, Zoey?” he asked quietly. 

She nodded, cheeks flushing. 

“You sure?” 

She hesitated and then shook her head. 

“Zo, what’s wrong?” he shifted, to face her, looking her in the eyes. 

“Nothing’s wrong. I just...earlier today when we were doing the therapy...I wanted more. I wanted to be able to really hold you, to hold your hand, and feel you holding mine…Is that crazy?” 

His eyes smiled back at her as his lips turned up in a grin. “No, Zoey. It’s not crazy. I wanted... **_want_ ** that, too. You better believe that as soon as I wake up, the first thing I’m going to do...is hold you.” 

Zoey felt her lips widen in a smile as she settled back against the couch cushions, Max sat right beside her, a smile prominent on his face as they sat together watching the lights along the bay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter!! :)   
>  Thanks to my lovely team of Betas: TheAuthor44, and LadyLillianRose :) 
> 
> Review please :) it makes my heart happy :)

Every day for a week, Zoey and Max went to the hospital after work to do more therapy, which usually consisted of music, massages, and longing glances. To know that Max wanted what she did made Zoey’s heart happier than she could ever have imagined, given the circumstances. 

They spent every moment together and she loved it...but it wasn’t complete, he wasn’t fully there, and she wanted all of him. There hadn’t been any improvements to Max’s physical condition. He reacted less to the therapy each time and today...today there wasn’t even a twitch. 

She sat down at the kitchen island and groaned. “I don’t understand. Your body didn’t react at all, but you could still feel it. It just doesn’t make any sense.” 

Max sat next to her and watched her. “I don’t know what’s happening, Zoey, but it’s okay. We’re gonna figure it out just like we figure out everything else. Together.” 

The next morning, Zoey woke up and got ready for work. Max followed her to work and things were fine, until as he was talking to Zoey about the coding, he flickered. Zoey’s eyes widened and she signaled for him to follow her to the meditation room. After the door shut behind her, she whispered to him, 

“Max, are you okay? You just...flickered.”

“I what?”

“You partially disappeared for a second. Flashing in and out of visibility… like a glitch.” 

He looked down at himself, “I think I’m okay. I don’t feel any different.” 

Zoey let out a sigh of relief, “You sure? I mean…” 

Right at that moment, it happened again. Max flashed in and out of existence before returning and looking at Zoey with terror in his eyes. “What was that?” 

“I don’t know, Max. But we need to figure it out. Now!”

* * *

Zoey left work early, heading straight to the hospital. Max followed along, glitching the whole way. 

When they got there, they asked the doctors about any changes to his condition but according to them nothing was wrong, everything was exactly the same. 

They did their daily Coma Arousal Therapy and then went back to Max’s apartment. He continued to glitch, and it terrified them both. Why was this happening? And why was the therapy not eliciting any response? They tried to keep their minds off it by watching a movie, and then two more… but their thoughts kept coming back to the uncertainty of Max’s current state of existence.

By the end of the night, Zoey had given in to her physical and emotional exhaustion and fallen asleep on the couch. Max tried to wake her, but without touching her, there wasn’t anything he could do. She had been working so hard to find a solution to his problem, she needed the rest, so he let her sleep. As she slept, he sat on the end of the couch, alternating between watching the bay, and watching her. No matter what happened, he was glad he was able to spend so much time with her. 

* * *

Later that night, Zoey woke up on the couch with Max beside her. He was still flickering… only now, he was flickering frequently enough that he almost appeared to be transparent. She sat up sharply, very concerned, “Max, are you feeling okay?” 

He shook his head and grimaced, “Something’s wrong, Zoey. I can feel it...something…I don’t know.” 

At that moment, Zoey’s phone rang, the caller I.D. showed it was the hospital. She answered quickly and placed it on speaker, “Hello, this is Zoey.” 

“Miss Clarke, it’s Gina, the PA from SFMC. I’m calling about Max Richman.”

“Is everything okay?” 

“Miss Clarke…” there was a pause. Zoey could hear the woman take a deep breath before continuing, “Max’s condition took a turn this evening, he’s declining rapidly and...and I don’t think he has long. You...you need to come see him, as soon as possible.” 

Tears filled Zoey’s eyes as she stared at the shocked man before her. He looked down at her with sorrow in his brown eyes as he nodded. 

“Thank you for letting me know. I’m leaving now,” she hung up the phone and turned her gaze back to Max. “Max…” 

“Let’s go,” he said quietly standing and moving to the door. As Zoey opened it and stepped through, Max tried to follow but he began fading more with every step away from the apartment. By the time they reached the end of the hall, he had almost completely vanished. 

“I don’t think I can go with you, Zo.” 

“But… but what if…” she asked anxiously. 

“It’s okay, Zo. Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“I’ll be back soon. I promise,” she said tearfully. 

He nodded and moved back down the hall, gaining more substance with each step. 

Zoey burst into Max’s room and the nurse turned away from the machines that were measuring his vital signs. “Gina said…” 

The nurse nodded, “His vitals are all over the place, and…” she trailed off and Zoey nodded. 

“Thank you...can I?” 

“I’ll be outside if you need me, ” the nurse said, leaving her alone with Max.

Zoey moved to his bedside, taking his hand, she sat on the edge of his bed. “Why now, Max? Things were going so well…I just... I finally knew what I wanted and…and now they tell me that I’m going to lose you? I can’t lose you, Max. Not now.” Tears fell from her eyes, falling onto their joined hands. 

She reached up and ran her hand through his thick curls, “God, why do we wait so long to tell people how we feel? Now, I just wish we had more time.” 

She slowly stood, releasing his hand and reached down to caress his cheek. Carefully avoiding the monitors, she removed his newly required oxygen mask for just a moment. “I love you, Max,” she leaned down and kissed him gently, pouring as much love as she could into a single kiss. She replaced the mask and wiped her tears from her cheeks. 

_ I need to get back to the other Max… I need to say goodbye.  _ She left the hospital quickly and made her way home. She opened the door to Max’s apartment and rushed in, breathless. 

“Max?!” she called out to him, hoping that he would appear quickly. It took a moment but soon, she heard his voice.

“Zoey? Did you make it?” She turned to face him, finding him more transparent than she had seen him. He tried to walk from the living room to her, but he was fading fast. 

She nodded solemnly, “It’s not good. They…” 

“I know. I can feel it… it’s weird.” 

“Max, I...I’m not ready.” 

He smiled sadly at her, “It’s okay, Zo. I got more time than I should have. Instead of rotting with my body in a bed for the last month, I got to spend it with you...and I couldn’t have asked for more.” 

“Max, I can’t lose you!” 

“I’ll still haunt you… you just may not be able to see me this time, ” he chuckled softly. 

“God, you’re joking with me right now?” 

He simply smiled and sent her a wink.

“Max…” Zoey choked as she tried to hold back a sob. “I love you.” 

His smile reached his eyes and she saw them sparkle with joy. “Zoey Clarke, I…” and he vanished. 

She heard her phone ring once again, she knew what it meant, but this time she didn’t even try to stop the tears as they fell from her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry....


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Like I said, it fuels my creativity, as is evidenced by the multiple chapters I’ve released in the last few days!
> 
> Thanks to TnA for their help as my wonderful Betas!! 
> 
> Please review!! More will be coming soon, I hope!!

  
Zoey was on her knees, the haze over her mind starting to clear as she heard her phone ring once again. She hadn’t even realized that it had stopped. Zoey pulled it out of her pocket, not bothering to wipe the tears away. She didn’t wait for the person calling to speak when she answered. She knew what they would say. 

“He’s gone, isn't he?” Zoey asked, her voice thick from crying. 

“No.” 

“What...What do you mean?”

“Max is awake, Miss Clarke.” And with that, the phone hit the floor as it slipped through Zoey’s fingers. 

* * *

The moment she walked through the door of the ICU, Zoey saw multiple doctors emerging from Max’s room. Gina approached her as she arrived at the door. 

“It’s a miracle. I don’t even know how this happened, but he is perfectly fine. His vitals have stabilized and he is fully awake. I want to keep him here for a couple more days, but after that, he should be able to go home.” 

Zoey nearly lost her balance, leaning against the wall. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks, but this time, they were tears of joy, relief, and happiness. Max was alive, he was okay, and soon, he would be coming home. She didn’t lose him after all. 

She opened the door to his room and walked in, the sight of the man in the bed taking her breath away. He looked away from the nurse who was talking to him and smiled widely at her. “Zoey! Crazy stuff, right? Apparently, I've been in a coma for like, a month? I don't know if I really believe it.” 

“It’s good to see you awake, Max. And you better believe it, because it's the truth.” _He doesn't remember...He doesn't remember..._

“Zoey, are you okay? You look like you've been crying…” he turned, dangling his feet off the bed and standing shakily, the nurse steadied him as he stepped forward. 

“Mr. Richman, please sit down.” 

Max nodded to the nurse, “Just a second.” He continued to walk towards her and Zoey quickly moved forward to help, directing him to the chair beside the bed. 

“I’m okay, Max,” she said, helping him sit down. “I don’t know what they told you, but earlier tonight, the doctors thought you weren’t going to make it. They thought you were dying.” 

He looked at her contemplatively, “That I know.”

“Well, they called me and I rushed over here, I even said goodbye to you… and then I had to...never mind. The point is, when they called me to tell me you woke up, I thought it was them calling me to…”

“To tell you that I had died,” he said quietly. 

She nodded, tears coming to her eyes again. “But, then they said you were awake and I just... I could hardly believe it. I was already grieving you but now you are right here, alive!” 

Max’s hand twitched, as if he was about to reach for her but changed his mind. “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all this, Zo.”

“Me? You’re the one who nearly died!”

“And I spent the last month sleeping. You've had to go through the last month all alone.” 

“Not completely alone, I had Oliver.” _Oliver and your disembodied spirit, but you don't remember that._

“You took Ollie?”

“My apartment wouldn't let me take him there, so i've been staying in your guest room. I hope that’s okay…” 

“Oh, that’s fine, Zoey. I just...wow. You did that for me?” 

“Of course I did. That’s what friends do! Just don't be mad at the mess, I've had some gnarly parties there.” 

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. You, Oliver and _Star Wars_?” he smirked. 

“You know me so well.” Zoey smiled, but inside her heart was breaking. The last month, completely erased from his mind. He didn’t remember it, but she remembered it all and she would have to live with that. Maybe she really was crazy, had it really happened at all? 

* * *

Max fiddled with his phone as he tried to occupy his mind. A whole month in a coma? He tried to wrap his mind around it. The last thing he remembered was picking up the Thai food and trying to get back to Zoey’s. He looked over at the woman sleeping in the chair beside his bed, she looked sad, even in her sleep. What had happened to her these last few weeks? 

The nurse came in to hang a new bag of IV fluid. She glanced over at him and then over at the redhead sleeping in the chair. “She came to see you every day, you know. Your girlfriend really loves you.” 

“We aren’t… She isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Could’ve fooled me. That girl cares a lot about you. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have done everything she did. She even tried doing Coma Arousal Therapy to help wake you up.” 

“Coma what?” 

“It’s not what it sounds like. She used things like music, massage, smell; anything she could to try and stimulate your senses. It works for some patients, and she has been doing it every day for over a week.”

“Really?” 

“I don’t lie to my patients. I tell them how it is. You should have seen her face when she came here to say goodbye to you earlier tonight. She was heartbroken.” 

Max nodded and focused on the woman beside him. He watched her as she slept, shifting in the chair as she started to mumble. He had heard her sleep talk before, typically if she fell asleep during movie night. Normally, it was talk about monkeys or something that made no sense at all. He listened closely, wanting to know what was occupying her dreams. 

_“Max…”_

His eyes widened as he heard his name come from her lips. He held very still, trying to see if she was still asleep. She mumbled some more incoherent words and turned onto her side, facing towards him while still sleeping. He smiled at her as her face relaxed, she seemed to be more at peace. The nurse’s words ran through his head. Was it true? Just how much did Zoey care about him? He shook his head. Everyone had always thought they were together. They had years of those moments. No, it was simply another outsider thinking that these best friends were something more. No matter how much he wished it was true, it wasn’t. Zoey didn’t love him, not like that, and she never would. He wasn’t going to force her into something she didn’t want. With a sad smile on his face, Max sighed, knowing that at least he still had an amazing best friend. He had no intention of ruining that by telling her he wanted more than friendship.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who supported me during this story. Thank you for all the comments and feedback. They really did fuel my creativity!! I have some other things in my head that i will eventually write down, but work is INSANE!!! So, they will come.... but slowly... 
> 
> This is the last chapter of GHOSTED... Unless i come up with an epilogue....
> 
> Thanks to my lovely Betas!! LadyLillianRose and TheAuthor44. I couldnt have made it through without you!!
> 
> Thanks to the Discord Crew, without whom this story would not exist!

It was Monday when the hospital discharged Max into Zoey’s care. She had already informed Joan of his newfound consciousness and requested a couple more days off to help him adjust. As Zoey helped him into her car, Max mourned the loss of his own. 

“Dammit, I’m going to have to get a new car. I loved that Audi, and I hate car shopping.” Zoey couldn’t help but smile. “What are you smiling about?” He asked, looking incredulous.

She chuckled at the feeling of déjà vu. “I’m just happy that you’re okay. If it had been a different car, hell if it had been this one, you probably would have been dead. So, maybe just get another Audi,” she shrugged. 

He looked at her and his smile grew. “We need to car shop for you, too. Especially if what you said about this car is true. So help me, if you land in a coma, I may go insane.” 

“Car shopping? But I like my car!” 

“One day, Zoey. One day…” 

When Max walked through the door of his apartment, leaning on Zoey, Oliver immediately bounded up to him. Winding his way around his legs, he then jumped onto the barstool to be picked up. Max didn't hesitate, reaching over he scooped the orange feline into his arms and buried his face in his scruff. Zoey smiled, watching them reunite. She could have heard Oliver’s purr over a chainsaw. When he finally pulled away from Ollie, Max glanced over at her. 

“Thank you, Zoey. Poor guy would have been alone all this time if it wasn’t for you.”

She nodded, “Of course! I hope it was okay that I stayed here.” 

“Zoey, you’re always welcome here. You know that.” 

“It just... felt better being here than it did going home.”

“Well, looks like you’ll be staying a little bit longer. What was it that PA said? That I would be…”

“‘Too weak to safely take care of yourself.’ Yes. You’ve been in a coma for a month, Max. Your muscles have atrophied and you need to get your strength back. So, in addition to staying here for the next few days, I helped the hospital set up physical therapists that will come here to work with you for a couple of weeks.”

Max sighed, “This is gonna be a long road, isn’t it?” 

Zoey nodded, “But I’ll help you every step of the way.” 

His frustration melted into a smile, “I’ll be thanking you forever, won’t I?”

She returned his smile, even though it made her heart ache. “I hope so.” 

* * *

Three weeks later, Max returned to work. Zoey had gone back to work the previous week and gone back to her own apartment. His new Audi was safely parked in the garage of his apartment complex, but he had yet to actually drive it. The accident made him hesitant, understandably so, given the resulting coma of his last drive. So, driving him to and from work had become part of Zoey’s new routine. 

Every time she entered his apartment, her breath caught in her chest. Every moment she had spent there with him was both a blessing and a curse. She was grateful to have him safe and awake, but her heart hurt knowing that  _ this _ Max didn’t care for her the way she cared for him. He hadn’t spent a month only being able to interact with her. Several times, she almost made a comment about something they had discussed when he had his out of body experience, but she caught herself before anything too hard to explain came out. 

Everyone was pleased and excited to have Max back at SPRQ Point. Joan paid special attention to him over the first week or two, letting him adjust at his own pace, and checking on him periodically throughout the day. She was more than happy to send both him and Zoey home if Max looked even the slightest bit tired. When that happened, Zoey would take him home, making sure he was okay and as soon as he passed out, head back to her own apartment. She had spent enough time watching him sleep, and now she didn’t have spirit Max keeping her company. 

Friday evening, after helping Max home, she sat on the floor of her bedroom. She had slowly unpacked her suitcase over the course of the last two weeks, item by item. Usually, only when she needed them until there was only one thing left inside; Max’s Play-Doh. Staring down at it, she knew she should give it back to him. Given how often she had watched the other Max play with it, she knew if she gave it back to him and saw him fiddle with it, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from crying. It had been a moment of weakness when she saw the Play-Doh in the bag on Max’s chair in the bedroom and took it to the guest room with her. And again when she put the Play-Doh in her suitcase to take it home. Now placing it in her purse, she moved to her living room and sat on the couch, looking at her phone to find she had a text. 

6:15pm - Thanks for helping me home. You’d think I’d have had enough sleep for a lifetime but apparently not. Movie night? 

She sighed before typing her reply. 

6:27pm - I’ll be there in 30. 

It didn’t take long for her phone to chime. 

6:28pm - See you then!

* * *

Max sat at his piano, his fingers hovering over the keys, though he had yet to play a note. He shook his head, trying to clear the strange thoughts in his mind. Every time he sat down at the instrument over the last couple of weeks, he had the feeling that if he tried, his fingers would go right through it as though they were less than solid. He slowly lowered his hands to the keys, feeling them under his fingertips. His fingers brushed along the crevices where each key met the next, he repeated this across the length of the keyboard before beginning to play. 

He closed his eyes as the melody sprang from the keys below his fingers and when he opened them, he saw Zoey sitting on his couch, a mug of tea in her hand and tears streaming down her cheeks. He blinked and, suddenly, she was gone.  _ I’m losing it. Yep, I’m going crazy. My dreams are seeping into reality now.  _ A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts, still staring at the couch, he called out, “Come in.” 

A moment passed as he continued to stare at the empty couch, “Max, you okay?” 

He shook his head to break his focus and looked up at the redhead beside him, “Yeah. I’m fine. Just thinking is all.”

“Thinking can be dangerous for you.” 

He felt his lips raise in a smile, “Hardy har har.”

She smiled back and he felt a twinge in his heart.  _ Nope. Don’t go doing that now. She doesn’t want that, remember. Not before the coma, not after. She isn’t yours.  _

She moved to sit in the middle of the couch and patted the cushion beside her, “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s watch that movie.” 

He moved next to her and leaned up against the corner of the couch. As the movie began, Zoey leaned back and her shoulder brushed his bicep. He felt his breath catch in his throat, it took everything he had to not pull her close to him. He had to remind himself that he was alone in his affections, and remember that she didn’t love him. 

* * *

The credits of the movie rolled and Zoey jumped up from the couch almost immediately. She almost regretted letting her shoulder rest against his arm during the film, but she couldn’t take it anymore. She had to touch him, even if it was just the once. She walked towards the window and stared out at the bay. 

“Zoey, do you ever doubt what you see?” 

“What do you mean?” 

He took a deep breath, moving to stand beside her, “I’ve been having these dreams. Hallucinations. Whatever you want to call them. Things that I know aren’t real. But, they feel real.” 

“What have you been seeing, Max?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Never mind. The doctor said that things may feel off after I woke up, I just…” his voice trailed off and he stared out the window. 

Zoey closed her eyes and reached into her purse. She turned to him and looked at his face, his eyes reflected the lights outside the window. “Max, I don’t know what you are seeing, but maybe this will help you know what is real,” she pulled out the container of Play-Doh. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. “It was in your pocket the night of the accident. Somehow, it found its way home in my suitcase.” 

She took his left hand and placed the plastic cylinder into it, “I’m here if you ever want to talk about these dreams. No judgment. I promise.”

With that, she raised herself onto her toes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. She quietly wished him a goodnight and moved quickly to the door.

“Goodnight, Zoey,” he whispered as she closed the door behind her. 

* * *

Max looked down at the container in his hand.  _ What a strange gift… _ He popped off the lid and pulled out the soft dough. Slowly kneading it he enjoyed the familiar feeling of it in his hands. His eyes widened as the hallucinations hit him full force.  _ No. Not hallucinations. MEMORIES!  _

_ Zoey sitting with him on the couch, her smile wide as they talked about everything and nothing… _

_ Her fingers in his hair as she shampooed his comatose body… massaging his legs… _

The memories continued to flood him as he tried to take them all in, trying to understand. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually, they began to slow. 

_Zoey dropping her mug on the rug…_ He turned around, there was a slight stain from the tea… **_it was all real!_**

Max checked his pocket for his wallet and grabbed his keys off the counter. He had to see Zoey,  **_now_ ** . If these things really happened, she could shed some light on these memories. 

He opened the door to his car, took a deep breath, and started the engine.  _ Zoey stood before him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Max...I love you.”  _

* * *

Zoey curled up in her bed, as tears fell from her eyes. He would never remember, never tell her what he was saying before he vanished. It didn’t matter anyway,she didn’t want to know what he was going to say. He didn’t feel the same, if he did he would have acted on it by now. 

She looked over at the clock, it was 1:04 AM. She knew tonight would be restless as every night had been since she left Max’s apartment. Why should tonight be any different? 

A pounding on her door shook her from her melancholy. She groaned and got up from the haven of her comforter and pillows, moving towards the door. “Who is it?” she mumbled. 

“Zoey, It’s Max. Open up.”  _ Max?! What is he doing here? How did he get here? _

She fumbled with the deadbolt until she finally succeeded in opening the door. “What’s going…”

Before she could complete her question, Zoey found her head being cradled in his hands, as his lips moved against hers. The kiss began gently at first, but then Max kissed her with more fervor, more desperation, more….everything. He guided her inside and shut the door behind him, never once breaking contact. 

Her fingers tangled in his soft curls, pulling him closer to her. Her tongue begged for entrance that he granted without hesitation. He tasted…she didn’t know how to describe it, but she couldn’t get enough. Eventually, he pulled back, breathing heavily. His fingers traced along her cheek before cupping it and running his thumb across her cheekbone as she leaned into his touch. 

His smile was wide, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at her. 

“Zoey Clarke, I love you, too.” 

  
  


_**-FIN-** _


End file.
